"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves"

For the past 21 years of my life, there's been a steady itinerary of events. From pre-school to middle school, high school, ACTs and SATs, College and internships, up until the moment I walked across that stage and received a college diploma. Up until that point my life had simply been a crazy long trip-tik taking me along to a destination. Through the journey there were times I would stray off the path to stop at a Grandpa's cheese barn, or stop to find a place called "make-believe land" that was advertised.. or maybe even to see the worlds largest candle. But in the end, I was always back, or making my way towards the final destination on the map. I can pretty vividly remember thoughts racing through my mind this past March, as I sat, watching different respectable people address me, the class of 2008. Their mouths moving, sitting in an uncomfortable chair surrounded by over 20,000 other people, in the center of the focus, in a goofy robe and hat and tassel, just thinking... not hearing a thing, what next? The map ended. Here I am, final destination... a giant, open world. I literally had the whole word at my fingertips, what was my next move? Where was I going to go? It’s like I was a caged mouse, I finally figured out the stupid maze that was set up for me, and in the end... set free. Or maybe like the ending of the Truman show.. (hope that didn't ruin it for anyone, but I think its an acceptable amount of time since its been out to ruin the ending.) In any event, here I am. I have found myself in Jerusalem, Israel. I arrived in August, I spent a few weeks really enjoying being back, and then in September I began classes at Mayanot, a learning center based in Katamon, right outside the German Colony. I take classes there Sunday through Thursday. (Sundays as Mondays may be the sole reason as to why I could never actually live here permanently). I'm enrolled in full time classes until the end of this month, Becca is coming, then my mom comes, and then I begin working (and hopefully also still some time to take classes). So I suppose what I decided to do with my open world, was to take some time to myself, take a backroad -before I got back on the grander, more traveled highway of life and buckled myself down to a job of any kind. We all know the J word is like screeching nails on a chalkboard to me. (side note: will our children know what that expression even means?) The classes at Mayanot are for the most part, awesome. I wake up at 6:30am daily (it hurts a little) and begin the day learning Chassidut.
[Ha•si'dut: Jewish mystic teachings founded in the 18th century] Each day continues from 9:30-11:30, with another two, two-hour classes. A break, and then another class or two. Included in the classes is Ulpan, Hebrew is getting better. The full time, just for fun learning will soon end, and I’ll start my treck back to the highway to work, and make some progress on the reality of things.

Peace & Love

(Both photos here were taken in the garden at Mayanot this fall when I first arrived.)